Thursday, May 19 was the first official event of the Russian Young Adult (RYAD) Speaker Series, aimed at young adults who immigrated from the former Soviet Union as children. The series consists of seminars held every two months in private homes. Led by prominent Jewish speakers, the events are intended to connect the Russian-Jewish “bridge generation” to the Federation and the Jewish community.

The speaker at the event was David Blumberg, who graciously offered his home for the evening. David spoke eloquently about intertwining his business success with Jewish involvement. His passion for the Jewish community and Israel was infectious. One of his messages was that “It all starts with the Federation.” The attendees asked many questions about the Jewish community and how to balance a career with philanthropic pursuits.

Many of the participants are children of the Russian Division’s leaders and donors, who beg their kids to attend Jewish activities. On Thursday, this group of young adults, who had at one point been terrified of their Jewish identity and who had never found a Judaism that felt right to them, were hanging on every word. It was like watching an awakening.

The event was supposed to be over at about 9:30 pm. When we looked down at our watches and saw that it was past midnight, we knew it was a success.